Whether it is through initiatives such as Feb fast or the muted prominence of 'detox' – Australian's drinking habits, often lauded as intrinsic to a sense of 'Australian' identity, are increasingly under fire.
If you’re of a literary bent, the release of Haruki Murakami’s IQ84 was kind of a big deal.
The superstar Japanese author had spent 5 years writing this, his latest masterpiece and his audience was excited. Japanese youth, who have elevated being excited into an art form, were feeling particularly festive and the book's publisher, Shinchosha, said it was forced to increase its first print run by 100,000 to 480,000 copies amid a flood of advance orders.
Meet Marcel. Marcel is a shell with one eye and two shoes. You should know that Marcel has a lot of personality. You should spend some time with Marcel, you won't regret it.
‘Sculpture by the Sea’ finished this week in Sydney. Running since 1997, for three weeks every year the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk is strewn with sculptures and hordes of people admiring them.
This year 109 sculptures adorned the coastline and the people of Sydney flocked to see them in droves. The popularity of the event and the range of people who enjoy it got us thinking about the role of art in our culture.
How do we feel about art? Should it be part of our lives or something that has its own separate, special place?
The Transit Lounge spoke to Aaron Anderson, the artist who created the popular ‘open house’ sculpture at the exhibit this year (along with Anne Zahalka). He gives us his thoughts on art, the process of making it and why it matters.
'The Little Refugee' is the extraordinary story of Anh Do's childhood. Anh was a young child living in war-torn Vietnam when his family decided to escape to another country. It is based on his award-winning book 'The Happiest Refugee' and written in response to a huge number of requests for a younger version of the story. The narrative in the 'The Little Refugee' is characterized by succinct simplicity, yet the words, accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Bruce Whatley, successfully convey the immense difficulties and hardships experienced by Ahn's family.
